Prom Night Part 3
by transmutejun
Summary: What does Zoltar have planned for the Federation High prom?  This story continues on from Prom Night Part 1. Part 2 is optional.
1. Chapter 10

_A/N: This story continues on from Prom Night Part 1 and Prom Night Part 2. You can continue reading this from either one of those parts. (It is __**not**__ necessary to read Prom Night Part 2.) _

Chapter 10

"What the hell were you thinking, Anderson?"

Chief Anderson rubbed his temple, sorry he had ever picked up the telephone. But telephones were like that: shrill, loud, and insistent that they be answered.

Just like Thom Cronus.

"I'm not sure what the problem is, Colonel." the Chief replied, in an irritated tone.

"The problem is the half-assed job you're doing, raising my son!" yelled Cronus.

John Anderson didn't understand the man. When Mark had been barely four years old, Cronus had left the boy in his care, because he couldn't be bothered to take care of him, once his wife had died. Oh, officially he had had 'duties' to the Rigan government, and 'work' to be performed on behalf of the Federation… but in Anderson's opinion, Thom Cronus just didn't want to be saddled with a small child. He had left practically all of the child-rearing duties to his wife, and didn't want to take them on himself after she passed away.

The Colonel had never made contact with Mark, and had even requested that Anderson not tell Mark of his true parentage: simply that he was an 'orphan'. The Chief had been only too happy to comply with this request. Why should he tell Mark that his father was a loud-mouthed ass who could barely remember that he did, indeed, have a child?

Mark was a fine boy, and he had grown into an exemplary young man. John Anderson was proud to call him _his_ son, despite the lack of biological relationship. Only, now that Mark was nearly grown, and Commander of G-Force, Thom Cronus had _finally_ remembered that he had a son.

The Colonel had somehow cajoled his way into a faculty position at the Space Academy, purely to examine Mark's capabilities from up close. And from what Anderson had heard, Cronus had gone out of his way to ensure that Mark had as rough a time as possible: forcing him to work twice as hard as any other student, just to keep his head above water.

But despite it all, Mark had excelled. The Chief smiled to himself. He was proud of _his_ son: a young man who could take that kind of abuse, and turn it into something positive, despite the tremendous stress he had been under as the Commander of G-Force.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Anderson said. "From what I understand, Mark just earned the highest score ever recorded on the Space Academy's final flight exam. And _you_ were the one who awarded him that score."

"Actually, the entire faculty agreed that he deserved that score." Was there a hint of pride in the Colonel's gruff voice? Anderson was astonished.

"So, what's the matter, then?"

"He did it without listening to me!" Cronus cried. Almost instantly, he realized how ridiculous that sounded, and he quickly revised his statement.

"I told him what he had to do, and he completely ignored me, going off on his own merry way." the Colonel growled.

Anderson nearly laughed out loud. No wonder Mark had done so well! He had finally learned to ignore Thom, and do what _he_ thought was right. The Commander deserved a medal for such incredible self-restraint.

"But that's not the real issue." Cronus continued.

"What is it _now_, Thom?" Anderson sighed, rolling his eyes to look at the ceiling.

"It's that little tramp he's been hanging around with."

"Tramp?" The Chief was surprised. "I hadn't heard of Mark being involved with anyone like…"

"I'm talking about that fluff toy you had the nerve to put on his team!" the Colonel ranted. "I _told_ you, years ago, that having a female on a team like this was asking for trouble, and now I'm proven right!"

"Princess?" Anderson asked, astonished. "What's wrong with Princess?"

"I know her type." sneered Cronus. "A few weeks ago, she was all over your Weapons Officer, and now, she's after my son! For all I know, she's entertaining your pilot on the side as well!" 

"Now listen here!" Anderson yelled, in a rare moment of anger. "Princess is _my_ daughter, and I will not have you making such baseless accusations about her! She happens to be a lovely girl, and a damn fine Intelligence Officer!"

From where had Cronus gotten his information? Suddenly, the Chief knew. The Colonel must have an informant at the school. Since Mark wasn't really spending any time at the Space Academy any more, his father must have been using someone at Federation High to spy on him.

"She's a bloody distraction!" Cronus insisted.

"A distraction from what?" asked Anderson. "Mark is finished with the Space Academy, and they're both going to graduate from Federation High next week."

"Mark is the Commander of the Federation's elite defense force." the Colonel growled. "He should be thinking about ways to defeat Spectra, not this…. 'prom'…"

The word was uttered with such disgust, that John Anderson nearly laughed out loud. However, he restrained himself, understanding that he would have a much more difficult time reasoning with Cronus if the man felt that he was being mocked.

"I gather, then, that you don't have _proms_ on Riga?" the Chief asked dryly.

"Rigan adolescents have better things to do with their time, than obsess over some puerile mating ritual!"

"So, I gather that Rigans don't mate, then? It's a wonder Mark was ever conceived."

Anderson knew there was no hiding it now. The Colonel _had_ to be aware that the Chief wasn't taking this as seriously as he was.

"That's not amusing, John." It was obvious, from his tone, that Cronus was near the breaking point.

"I don't see any harm in letting the kids go to the prom." Anderson sighed. "After all of the work they've put in over the past few years, they deserve a bit of fun."

"But don't you see how dangerous it is?" cried the Colonel. "They're distracted by all of these adolescent hormones, instead of concentrating on their enemy!"

"I'm sure they'll be available, if a crisis emerges." the Chief reassured him. "They're very responsible young people."

"But _how_ can they respond to a crisis, if they're wearing those damn monkey suits, instead of their uniforms?"

"It will be just fine, Thom." Anderson stressed, before making an excuse and quickly hanging up the phone. He couldn't stand to be part of that conversation one moment longer.

The truth was, Chief Anderson had been somewhat reticent about this prom business himself, but if Cronus was against it… Well, then John Anderson supported the idea one hundred percent.

88888

"How are the plans for the adolescent Earther social gathering proceeding?" Mala asked.

"It's called a 'prom'." Zoltar sighed. "At least get your terminology right, Sister."

"These Earther words are so difficult to remember." Mala shook her head. "I don't know how you retain it all, Brother."

"I remember just enough to get by." Zoltar smiled thinly.

"I can't believe the Great Spirit was so generous with our resources." Mala remarked.

"I know." replied Zoltar. "Odd, isn't it? But I'm hardly going to argue. Obviously this mission is of great importance, to him."

"I have to admit, Brother, at first I wasn't sure that you knew what you were doing, but now, I feel that this plan has merit."

"Thank you, Sister." The Spectran Leader gave Mala a gratified nod.

The Spectran soldier currently manning the Weapons Locker approached, handing his leader a computer pad, listing the current armaments stored there.

"So, which do you think would be better: the gas bombs, or the automatic rifles?" Zoltar asked, perusing the list.

"Well, the automatic rifle is a classic weapon: an old standby. It always fills your needs, and is always appropriate." Mala mused. "The gas bombs are a little more exotic, but they could work too."

"Oh, yes." offered the soldier, "Many squadrons of the Spectran military have placed orders for gas bombs in the last few months!"

"Do you think so?" Zoltar said thoughtfully, "I'm not certain…"

"You never want to try anything new." Mala huffed. "Why did you ask my opinion in the first place, anyway?"

"I really don't know…"

"Fine, then. Go with the rifle. See if I care!"

"I think I'll add a silencer to it."

"What? You've _got_ to be kidding!"

"What's wrong with a silencer?" Zoltar sighed.

"Well, it's not like you _want_ to be silent." Mala pointed out. "Why don't you use a laser sight instead?"

"_Why_ would I prefer a laser sight over a silencer?"

"Silencers are useless." Mala explained patiently, as if speaking to a small child. "But a laser sight… now _that_ could come in handy. It would help your aim."

"Are you saying that my aim needs help?" Zoltar asked indignantly.

"Well, you've never been known as an expert marksman." Mala stated authoritatively.

"Lady Mala is correct." the Weapons Locker soldier added. "A laser sight is _much_ more helpful."

"Whatever." Zoltar scowled at the soldier for agreeing with his sister. "I'll go with the laser sight, then."

"Don't forget to make it black, for better camouflage inside your cape."

"Of course." Zoltar nodded.

"Your mind is a million miles away, Brother." Mala observed.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you never would have acquiesced so easily unless you were thinking of something else." Mala replied. "Or… _someone_ else."

This comment was met by a stony silence from the Spectran Leader.

"I know!" Mala cried excitedly. "You're thinking about that woman… Shupa…"

"Her name was _Sugar_." Zoltar replied frostily.

"Sugar. Of course." Mala smirked. "She thought you were _so_ wonderful… until that Earther swept her off her feet."

"You don't need to remind me, Sister." Zoltar remarked sourly.

"And not just _any_ Earther!" Mala continued, warming to her subject. "The son of the Federation President!"

"I recall, Mala." Zoltar growled.

"And even _that_ didn't stop you! She renounced Spectra, and became a Federation citizen, and you _still_ chased after her! I remember how you used to moan for her, in your sleep, at night…"

"That's enough, Mala!" Zoltar snapped. "I don't need you to speak of Sugar Kane any further!"

"Touchy, touchy!"

88888

"How is the monkey suit selection going?" Jason asked.

"It's called a 'tuxedo'." Mark sighed. "At least get your terminology right, Jason."

"These things are so difficult to remember." Jason joked.

"You don't seem to have any trouble remembering racing statistics." Mark smiled thinly.

"That's different." Jason replied loftily.

It wasn't every day that they guys got to wear something other than their usual jeans and numbered t-shirts. Both of them wanted to make a good impression on their dates.

"So, have you picked out _your_ tuxedo, yet?" Mark asked.

"Yes, and it's pretty cool, if I do say so myself." Jason replied. "Armani! I can't believe the Chief was so generous with us! Letting us spend whatever we want?"

"I know." said Mark. "Odd, isn't it? But I'm hardly going to argue. Obviously he knows how important this is, to us."

"I have to admit, at first I wasn't sure about this whole prom thing, but now, I'm warming up to it."

The sales clerk assisting Mark approached, holding out two tuxedoes for the Commander's approval.

"So, which do you think would be better: the jet black, or the midnight blue?"

"Well, jet black is a classic look: an old standby. It always works, even if it's a little dull." Jason answered. "The midnight blue is a little more wild, but it could work too."

"Oh, yes." offered the clerk, "A lot of young men are wearing the blue this year!"

"Do you think so?" Mark said thoughtfully, "I'm not sure…"

"You never want to try anything new." Jason scowled at him. "Why did you ask my opinion in the first place, anyway, Mister Macho?"

"I really don't know…" Mark rolled his eyes at Jason.

"Fine, then. Go with the black. See if I care!"

"_Your_ tuxedo is black, Jason."

"Yes, but it's an _Armani_. That speaks for itself."

Mark shook his head in disbelief.

"I think I'll take the cummerbund." he told the clerk who had been assisting him.

"What? You've _got_ to be kidding!"

"What's wrong with a cummerbund?" Mark sighed.

"Well, you're already going with the 'uptight politician' Ralph Lauren tux." Jason pointed out. "You need to loosen up. Why don't you get a vest instead?"

"_Why_ would I prefer a vest over a cummerbund?"

"Cummerbunds are _so_ disco." Jason explained patiently, as if speaking to a small child. "But a vest… now _that_ would be cool. It would help your look." He mentally grimaced at the words coming from his mouth. But he had promised Princess…

"Are you saying that my look needs help?" Mark asked indignantly.

"Well, you've never been known as a fashion plate." Jason stated authoritatively.

"Like _you're_ the expert." Mark shot back. "You wear the same thing every day, just like I do!"

"Yeah, but I pay attention to what's in style." Jason rolled his eyes. "You couldn't care less."

"Your companion is correct, Sir." added the clerk. "Vests are much more stylish than cummerbunds."

"Whatever." Mark shrugged. "I'll go with the vest, then."

"Don't forget to make it red, to match Princess' dress."

"Of course." Mark nodded.

Jason grinned. Mission accomplished. It was the least he could do for Prin, after their prom date misunderstanding.

"Your mind is a million miles away, Mark." Jason observed.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you never would have given in so easily unless you were thinking of something else." Jason replied. "Or… _someone_ else."

This comment was met by a stony silence from the G-Force Commander.

"I _know_ you're thinking about Princess!" Jason smirked. "You two have been practically joined at the hip, ever since you passed your flying thingamajig."

"It's called a _flight test_." Mark replied frostily.

"Whatever." Jason waved his hand magnanimously. "Princess thinks you are _so_ wonderful… it's just as well that _I'm_ not taking her to prom."

"Why is that?" Mark asked.

"Because then she'd know what it was like to be with a _real_ man." Jason winked.

"You have some _real_ problems with modesty, Jason." Mark rolled his eyes.

"What problems? I call it like I see it." Jason grinned. "Although, it's too bad. It would have been great to have _two_ dates. I can see myself now… entering the prom with Kandi _and_ Princess on my arms. I wonder if Prin would still be interested…"

"Forget about it, Jason!"

"Touchy, touchy!"


	2. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"I can't believe the day of the prom is finally here!" shrieked Kandi. She was so loud that Princess had to hold the telephone handset a foot away from her ear.

"I know!" Princess replied, once she was sure the volume was at a safe level again. "I'm still trying to figure out my hair. I'm just not used to doing anything with it. Do you think I should put in the jeweled comb, or the engraved silver clip?"

"Definitely the jeweled comb." Kandi advised. "The emeralds go so well with your eyes!"

"But, it's on the back of my head!" Princess protested. No one is going to see my eyes _and_ the comb at the same time! Besides, green jewels with a red dress? Doesn't that look a little… Christmassy?"

"Not at all!" Kandi assured her. "But if you're uncomfortable, go with the clip. I'm sure you'll be beautiful, either way!"

"So will you, Kandi." Princess replied. "Jason is very lucky to have you as his date."

"And Mark is lucky to have you, as his." Kandi said. "He's so dreamy. But so quiet! How'd you manage it, Princess? None of the other girls have ever been able to get him to show any interest!"

"I guess… I was just _myself_." Princess giggled.

"Well, whatever it was, you've snagged a hottie!"

Princess laughed out loud. She knew that Mark would be incredibly embarrassed to hear Kandi calling him a 'hottie'.

"But he's going to die when he sees you in that dress!" Kandi exclaimed.

"You think so?" Princess asked. "It's a little daring. Should I wear a wrap over it?"

"Oh, no!" Kandi urged, "You've got it, so why not show it off?"

"I don't know…" Princess sighed. She wondered if the guys were this involved in dressing for the big night.

88888

"What's taking you so long, Jason?" Mark asked in irritation.

"I can't figure these damn things out!" Jason muttered.

"Which things?"

Jason held up two small, gold colored objects.

"Who the hell invented these idiotic things, anyhow?"

"They're just cufflinks, Jason."

"But how do you get the damn things in? Mine keep sliding around!"

"Just put them through the hole in the sleeve."

"What hole?"

Mark sighed, reached over, and turned around Jason's right cuff, pointing at the end of the sleeve.

"Oh."

"Can you do it, _now_?" Mark rolled his eyes. Obviously anything more complicated than 'press the red button' was too much for Jason to handle.

"How did you learn to do this, anyhow?" Jason asked, still struggling with inserting the cufflink one-handed.

"I asked the Chief." Mark smirked.

"So, in other words, you cheated."

"_I'm_ ready, and you're not." Mark pointed out.

"I'm ready!" Jason insisted, pulling his jacket sleeves down as far as possible, to cover his cuffs.

"Then let's get going!" Mark snapped. "I'm late to pick up Princess!"

But as the two young men rushed down the stairs, a quiet voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Mark, Jason, I want to talk to you, for a moment." Chief Anderson said.

"Uh, Chief, I'm late picking up Princess…" Mark mumbled.

"I can appreciate that you don't want to keep her waiting, Mark." Anderson smiled. "This will only take a moment. When we're done, you can use one of the Galaxy Security cars and a driver, to take you to the prom."

"Thank you." Mark nodded.

"I just wanted to remind you boys, that even though you're not in uniform tonight, you are _still_ members of G-Force." the Chief lectured them. "I expect you to remain on your best behavior, and not engage in any activities that would embarrass Galaxy Security."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Or _me_." Anderson smiled thinly.

"We won't, Sir." Mark answered quickly.

"Of course not." grinned Jason.

The Chief looked at Jason suspiciously, but he appeared to be sincere. At this point, there wasn't much else Anderson could do to erase the last-minute doubts Thom Cronus had unfortunately placed in his head.

"That is all."

"Thanks, Chief!" Mark said. "Jason, are you coming with me?"

"No, I promised Kandi I'd pick her up in Sweetheart." Jason shrugged. "I'd better get going."

"Okay, I'll see you at school, then." Mark said. He was already looking forward to seeing Princess. Apparently her red dress was something else!

88888

With the Galaxy Security car and driver, Mark had been right on time. Now, he sat nervously in a booth at Jill's, waiting for Princess to come downstairs. Jill had apparently given her some last-minute help getting dressed.

As Mark looked up, his gaze fell upon an elegant, sophisticated woman. Her ebony curls were pulled off of her face, only to cascade down her bare back. The creamy skin of her bare shoulders contrasted with the deep crimson of her dress, which showed just enough cleavage to remind Mark of their afternoon next to Swan Lake.

The dress itself swirled around Princess' slim form, showing off her the curves of her body. Mark found his throat tightening, just looking at her.

"Uh…" the Commander of G-Force found himself at a loss for words.

"Princess…" he gasped, "I've never seen you look more beautiful!"

Princess gifted him with a brilliant smile.

"You've cleaned up very nicely yourself." she observed. "You even got a haircut!"

"This is for you." Mark said, offering Princess a single ivory rose. Carefully, he pinned it to the side of Princess' décolletage, while Jill snapped pictures from every conceivable angle.

"Shall we?" he asked softly, holding out his arm.

Princess placed her arm in Mark's, feeling as if she were walking on air.

"You two have fun!" Jill called after them, as they exited the bar.

The young couple never heard her.

88888

He was late to pick up Kandi.

He had started out on time, but who knew that those damn cufflinks would take so long to figure out? And then the Chief had _had_ to have his little talk.

Jason raced out of the house, heading toward the driveway, where he had parked Sweetheart. He had washed, polished and waxed his car just that morning, so that she would look special for the prom.

Of course, Sweetheart _was_ special. When he transmuted, she became the Spacemobile, and that was one _sweet_ ride (hence his nickname for her). But he couldn't exactly advertise that fact, so most of the time she just looked like a battered, low-end racecar.

But not tonight.

Jason loved spending time with his car, even on tasks anyone else would have considered mundane. He had just been finishing up the final coat of wax when Keyop had come by.

"Brrrrt… going to… dreet… prom?"

"Yeah." Jason had grinned. "It's going to be a blast!"

"Droot… could I… brrrrp… come?"

Keyop had never been one to beat around the bush. He had enough trouble getting his words out, to waste the few he could actually communicate. So Jason could be excused, for not realizing how important this question really was, to the young boy.

"Sorry, Squirt!" Jason had replied, ruffling Keyop's hair. "It's just for us big kids."

Keyop _hated_ it when anyone ruffled his hair.

"Beep… I'm big!" he had insisted, thumping his chest.

"Not big enough, Kiddo!"

Jason had cheerily walked away, forgetting about the disappointed expression on Keyop's face, until now.

Sweetheart had been used as a dumping ground by a couple of swallows.

Jason had his suspicions as to why the birds had chosen _his_ car. Everyone knew that Keyop was good with animals. Jason cursed the G-Force Operations Officer, as he was forced to take precious time to clean his car, while trying not to mess up his tux.

Kandi was going to kill him, for being so late.

Jason turned his car into the President's long driveway, after getting clearance from the security guard outside. He screeched his tires on the pavement, nearly running over a prize-winning rosebush.

He leapt out of the car, almost bowling over an irate gardener as he sprinted up the steps to the front door, slipping in his unfamiliar dress shoes.

He rang the doorbell, using the few seconds before it was answered to straighten up the mess his clothing had become.

Kandi was bound to be furious!

But, when the petite blonde girl answered the door, she looked more nervous than upset.

"Jason, you're here!" she said, in a loud, overly cheerful voice.

"Yeah." he replied. "Sorry I'm late, but we can go, now."

"Oh, you want to come say hello to my grandfather?" she said, in the same loud, stilted tone.

Jason got it. He was about to be grilled by the President of the Intergalactic Federation. This night just couldn't get any worse.

"Sure." he said. "Let's go talk to your grandfather."

At least it was all worth it. Kandi sizzled in a strapless silver gown that clung to her body. Jason took her hand, and whispered into her ear.

"You're looking pretty hot! Is he actually letting you out of the house like that?"

Kandi turned to regard Jason's smirking face.

"Only if you impress him with your sparkling conversation." she cooed softly.

"Touche." Jason grinned.

They entered the living room, where Jason found President Kane waiting for them.

"Good evening, Sir." he said, offering his hand to the leader of the Federation.

"Good evening, Mr. Vicelli."

"I appreciate that you have given your permission for me to escort Kandi to the prom, Sir."

"That permission was not given lightly." the President said gruffly. "My granddaughter is the most precious possession I have."

"I understand, Sir."

"I don't think you do." Kane replied. "Kandice's parents were killed by Spectra assassins, when she was barely a year old. My wife died from her grief, six month later. Since that time, Kandice has been the center of my life."

"Oh, Grandad." Kandi sighed, embracing her grandfather.

"It's true." Kane continued, patting her hand gently. "But unfortunately, because of my position, you are constantly under threat yourself. Which is why I am normally reluctant to let you out of my sight, for very long."

The President turned, giving Jason a long, hard look.

"But I know that _you_, of all people, will be able to keep my granddaughter safe."

Jason knew that Kane was referring to his position as a member of G-Force.

"You can count on me, Sir!" he said wholeheartedly, giving a quick salute.

"I will be." Kane said grimly, releasing Kandi's hand from his.

"We won't be too late!" Kandi called, quickly making an escape, while she saw a chance.

"I'll be waiting up for you." the President reminded her.

Kandi sighed, shaking her head and rushing Jason out the door.

"What was that all about?" she asked, once they were outside.

"What was what about?"

"That salute. I would never have thought of it, but it seemed to impress him. And what was all that about him counting on you to keep me safe?"

"I guess, he just knows that no one messes with me, and gets away with it." Jason grinned.

"I guess so." Kandi replied, her mind turning to more important matters.

"Is that bird poop on your car?"

The swallows had struck again.


	3. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Mark and Princess entered the Federation High gymnasium, which had been festooned with balloons, crepe paper, and other homemade decorations. Twinkling lights had been strung up near the high ceiling, to give the impression of a night sky.

A live band played on a temporary stage, and young couples gyrated to the music as the faculty congregated near a punch bowl, pretending not to notice that the beverage had already been spiked.

"It's everything I thought it would be!" gushed Princess.

"No, it's much better," Mark said quietly, "because I'm here with you."

Princess blushed, her skin nearly matching the shade of her dress. She didn't know what had gotten into Mark. Over the last couple of weeks he had been much more romantic: coming up with compliments when she least expected it. Not that she minded at all, but it was so unlike his previous behavior that she was still somewhat taken aback by his comments.

For his part, Mark was starting to settle into his relationship with Princess. Their newly found closeness had made him more bold, and he found himself occasionally uttering the thoughts that came into his mind, rather than biting his tongue, as he previously had done.

As he saw Princess' reaction to his words, the Commander was glad that he had made the effort to show her his feelings.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked her.

"I thought you didn't like to dance?" Princess asked.

"This is a special occasion." Mark winked, and Princess was reminded once again why she was head over heels for this man.

"I love you." she whispered, leaning up to kiss him lightly, before leading him off to the dance floor.

The couple danced to two fast songs, before the lights dimmed and the band began to play a slow ballad.

"Just what I was waiting for." murmured Mark, drawing Princess into his arms. She sighed softly, resting her head on his shoulder, as they swayed in time to the music. Princess wished that the song would never end.

But all too soon, the music changed again, and couples reluctantly pulled apart to dance to the faster music.

"Let's get a drink." she suggested.

"Sounds good." Mark replied, leading her to a nearby table, and pulling out a chair for her. Princess grinned widely. The Commander was pulling out all of the stops, tonight.

"I'll go and get us some punch." he said, before making his way through the crowd toward the refreshment table.

Princess smiled to herself, gazing around the room. This was the happiest day of her life. Well, perhaps not: there _was_ that afternoon at Swan Lake…

She was rudely torn away from her pleasant thoughts by a loud voice.

"How's it going, Princess?" Brad Peterson asked, dropping, uninvited, into the chair next to hers.

"I'm having a very nice time." Princess replied. She felt a little uncomfortable around Brad now, but felt she should at least be polite.

"I'll bet you are." he leered, leaning over in an attempt to peer down the neckline of her dress.

"Mark will be back in a second." Princess said, moving as far away from Brad as she could, while still remaining on her chair. "He's just getting some punch."

"What happened to Jason?" Brad asked, his words slightly slurred. Princess felt his breath on her face, and smelled alcohol on it.

"Jason?"

"Wasn't _he_ your date?" Brad leered. "Did you get dumped by your own _brother_? And now you're here with _another_ brother?"

Princess glared at Brad, trying to decide if messing up her fingernails was worth punching him in the face.

When she didn't respond immediately, Brad pressed the issue further.

"I'm surprised at you, Princess. And here, I thought you were such a _nice_ girl. What exactly goes on, in your house, at night, between you and your _brothers_?"

That did it. Princess's hand flashed out, slapping Brad's face, just as Mark came back with two glasses of neon pink punch.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Brad raged, leaping up from his seat. Unfortunately, in his haste, he ended up tripping the approaching Commander, who stumbled forward, spilling both glasses onto the front of Brad's tuxedo.

"Gee, Brad, I think pink is your color!" Princess giggled, amused by the dripping senior.

"You can't get away with that, bitch!" he yelled angrily, grabbing Princess' hair and yanking her head back.

Princess jammed her elbow into Brad's solar plexus, just as Mark twisted his arm behind his back.

"Get away from her."

Brad instantly let go of Princess' hair, and the Commander shoved him away from the table, his eyes blazing. It was obvious from Mark's expression that he was someone Brad did _not_ want to mess with.

"She's just a piece of trash!" Brad cried, stumbling away. "You'll be sorry you wasted your time on her!"

"Are you okay?" Mark asked Princess in a solicitous tone.

"I'm fine." Princess smiled. "Better than fine, now that you're here."

"Let's just pretend that didn't happen." Mark suggested.

"Pretend _what_ didn't happen?"

88888

Jason entered the prom with Kandi on his arm. He saw Mark and Princess heading out to the dance floor, and spotted Tiny checking out the buffet table. The party was already in full swing, but it looked like they hadn't missed anything important.

Of course, Jason supposed he could be wrong. Brad Peterson stumbled toward him, a bright pink punch stain gracing the front of his rumpled tuxedo.

"What's wrong with that sister of yours?" spat Brad. "That little bitch slapped me!"

"Then I'm sure she had a good reason." Jason remarked, while Kandi looked at the Rugby Captain in disgust.

"What _is_ that on your tux, Brad?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

"You Anderson kids are all freaks!" Brad insisted, moving away from the couple.

"What a creep!" Jason observed.

"Oh, look! There are Princess and Mark!" said Kandi, pulling Jason toward their friends.

"Princess, you look gorgeous!" Kandi cried.

"Wow, that dress is great!" Princess complimented her friend. The two girls were quickly engaged in a meaningful discussion about prom fashions.

"So, what's with Brad Peterson?" Jason asked Mark. "He said Princess hit him?"

"Don't ask." Mark rolled his eyes. "The guy's bad news. I'm starting to wish he was a Spectran agent, just so I'd have an excuse to kick his ass."

"Hey, you never know." Jason grinned. "Stranger things have happened."


	4. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jason's night was definitely improving. Kandi was damn sexy, and he loved the way she danced, swinging her curvaceous body against his. The band rocked, and the punch was lightly spiked. Tiny had been parked at the buffet table all evening, chatting up one of the catering girls, and he had managed to save the best food for his friends.

Best of all, there had been no further sign of Brad Peterson.

Jason was just starting to feel that nothing else could go wrong tonight, when the band stopped playing, and the lights were turned down.

He stiffened, anticipating the worst.

A spotlight lit up the stage, highlighting the rotund figure of Principal Perkins.

Jason groaned. This was _bound_ to be bad.

"Good evening, students!" the Principal beamed. "I'm sure you are all enjoying yourselves at this year's prom."

There was a general murmur of assent from the attendees.

"Tonight, I have the honor of presenting to you, the students of Federation High, your Prom King and Queen."

There was a cheer. For many students, this was the highlight of the evening.

But not for Jason. Invariably, some idiot girl and some dumb jock were chosen as the King and Queen, and then they lorded it over everyone else for the rest of the evening. What a waste of time. His evening had been interrupted for _this_?

"As you all know, the female students vote for their Prom King, and the male students vote for their Prom Queen." the Principal informed them.

If they all knew this, then why was he telling it to them again?

"This year, by an overwhelming landslide, your Prom King is… Jason Vicelli!" 

Jason stood frozen in shock, as another spotlight swung over to his position on the dance floor. The students around him cheered, and Kandi screamed in excitement, jumping into his arms and kissing him wildly.

In a daze, Jason felt Princess pushing him toward the stage and whispering in his ear.

"Get up there, you idiot!"

Somehow, he made his way to the stage, where a beaming Principal Perkins placed a small golden crown on his head, and handed him a plastic 'scepter'. He would have been more comfortable with a feather shuriken in his hand, but the adulation of the crowd was becoming more fervent.

Apparently, they loved him just the way he was.

Slowly, Jason realized that this wasn't such a terrible thing. He grinned, raising the scepter in the air, soliciting another loud cheer from the student body.

He looked into the crowd, and saw Princess and Mark clapping happily for him. Next to them, Kandi was practically jumping up and down, blowing kisses at him. Over at the buffet table, Tiny raised a glass to Jason, with the arm that wasn't draped around the caterer's assistant.

Best of all, he caught a quick glimpse of Brad Peterson scowling at him from the corner of the room.

"And now," announced Principal Perkins, "Your Prom Queen…"

Jason's good mood evaporated. Oh no… what dog were they going to saddle him with?

"Kandi Kane is this year's Prom Queen!"

Kandi ran, tears streaming down her face, up to the stage, grabbing Jason and giving him a passionate kiss, causing the prom attendees to roar their approval. Principal Perkins placed a large, glittering tiara on her head, and handed her a bouquet of roses.

"Oh, my!" she sobbed, "I'm so thrilled! Thank you, everyone!"

After Kandi had gushed to the crowd for a couple of minutes, Principal Perkins regained control of the mic.

"And now, the Prom King and Queen will have their official dance!"

The band began to play a Celine Dion ballad, and slowly Jason led Kandi down from the stage, where a clear circle of space had opened up for them. They handed their scepter and bouquet to Mark and Princess, as the room darkened again, and a spotlight lit up the couple. Jason expertly moved his Prom Queen across the dance floor, in time to the music.

Slowly, they swayed to the love song, as Jason inserted the occasional dip and turn, to the delight of the crowd.

This Prom King thing wasn't so bad, after all.

It was at that moment that the room was plunged into utter darkness.

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The music stopped, and for a moment there was utter silence.

Then there was a crash that sounded like breaking glass, and frightened voices began screaming, as people tried to comprehend what was happening.

Jason held tightly onto Kandi, remembering what he had promised her grandfather. At the time, he had never actually anticipated that she might truly be in danger. Of course, he might be over-reacting now, but his G-Force training had taught him to always expect the worst.

Princess dropped Kandi's bouquet, reaching for Mark.

"I'm here, Princess." he whispered in her ear.

She squeezed his arm in response, then used her free hand to fumble around inside of her clutch purse. Her fingers found the smooth, rounded object she was searching for, and the familiar feel of it made Princess feel more secure.

Mark was glad that Princess was with him. Knowing that she was safe allowed him to attune his senses to the situation at hand. Despite his lack of uniform, he was acting as the Commander of G-Force, in a potentially dangerous environment.

Tiny stepped as carefully as he could, doing his best to shake broken glass off of his feet. How the hell had he managed to knock over the punchbowl? At least, he didn't think he had splashed any of the punch on himself.

Kandi clutched nervously at Jason's tuxedo jacket. All of the warnings her grandfather had ever given to her came flooding into her mind in one giant rush.

"Everything's okay, isn't it, Jason?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"It will be fine." Jason replied, smoothing his hand over her hair.

But even as he made the tender gesture, an echo of chilling laughter filled the room.

It sounded familiar…

The lights suddenly came back on, and the students blinked with the sudden change in illumination. As his vision cleared, Jason saw a flash of purple.

"Jason… that's not…"

It was obvious, from the tone of her voice, that Kandi was terrified.

"Zoltar." Jason muttered coldly.

Mark studied his enemy carefully. Where had he come from? And why had he chosen to appear here, at Federation High, at a _prom_, of all things?

He was suddenly wishing that he had come to the prom in his number 1 t-shirt.

Princess was profoundly grateful that she had decided to bring her yo-yo along with her. She clutched the weapon even more tightly, her fingers still concealed in her purse.

Tiny carefully checked out his tuxedo. It appeared to be clean. He sighed in relief. The Chief would kill him if he lost the security deposit. However, not too far away, Brad Peterson appeared to be standing in a lake of punch, his shoes squelching as he attempted to make his way out of the mess.

"Good evening." Zoltar said. The Spectran Leader was standing on the stage. Two green-suited soldiers stood behind him, holding rifles at Principal Perkins' head.

"I can't begin to tell you all how pleased I am to be here." Zoltar said smoothly. "I hope you don't mind that I brought along a few guests." He gestured flamboyantly around the room. The students looked around, and were easily able to discern over a dozen Spectran soldiers aiming their weapons at the crowd, as well as a few more guarding the exits.

Princess heard Mark's sharp intake of breath, and she gripped her yo-yo so tightly that the blood drained from her knuckles.

Mark moved his left arm slowly, activating his communicator. He pretended to tug his ear nervously, and surreptitiously sent a message to Chief Anderson.

"Chief, this is Mark. Come in." he said quietly.

The only response was static.

"It shouldn't be doing that." hissed Princess.

Mark forgave her for repeating the obvious. After all, she was just as surprised and unnerved by this entire situation, as he was.

The G-Force Intelligence Officer listened carefully, and after a couple of seconds offered her analysis.

"It sounds like the frequency is being jammed."

"That can't be right…" Mark whispered, but as he looked around the gymnasium, he noticed other students attempting to use their cell phones. They seemed to be unable to find any reception. It appeared that Princess knew what she was talking about.

Zoltar smirked from the makeshift stage.

"No doubt, you are discovering that we have jammed all communications." he informed them. "The only message that will leave this building is the one that Spectra has sent to Galaxy Security."

"What do you want?"

Everyone looked back toward the buffet table. Tiny stood indignantly, his arms crossed in an unconscious imitation of Jason's usual pose, defying the leader of the Spectran Empire with a single question.

"What I want is G-Force." Zoltar replied loftily.

"So, why are you _here_, then?" Tiny insisted.

"Persistent, aren't you?" Zoltar laughed. "Well, as it turns out, you are all the perfect hostages."

The students looked at each other frantically. Hostages? This sounded dangerous.

"You are the children of the Federation Elite." Zoltar informed them. "I have informed Galaxy Security, that if G-Force does not surrender themselves to me, within one hour, then I will begin executing students, at random."

Kandi whimpered nervously, trying to hide herself inside Jason's arms.

"Or… perhaps, not so randomly." Zoltar smirked, his gaze falling on the Royal Couple. Jason and Kandi were standing by themselves, still within the circle that had cleared for their dance.

The Spectran Leader descended to the dance floor, his purple cape swirling as he strode across to Jason and Kandi's position.

Jason's fists clenched, as he seethed inwardly. What he wouldn't give for a feather shuriken, at this moment. But he had made a promise to President Kane, and no matter what happened, he wasn't going to break it.

On the other hand, he was unable to transmute, and had no weapons. So he wasn't entirely sure how he was going to _keep_ his promise, either.

"And who is _this_?" Zoltar sneered, poking a finger at Kandi's shoulders.

Jason continued to hold her tightly, but despite her fear, morbid curiosity caused Kandi to turn her head slightly, to look at the dreaded Spectran Leader.

A gasp was heard from behind the purple mask.

"Sugar…"

"I'm _not_ Sugar." Kandi said coldly, a sudden feeling of defiance taking over her words. "She was my mother."

"Ah yes…" Zoltar replied. "Of course…"

On the exterior, he attempted to project an air of nonchalance, but inwardly his heart leapt in excitement. One of his hostages was Sugar's daughter!

"Then, you must be President Kane's granddaughter." he smiled wickedly.

All too late, Kandi realized her mistake in standing up to Zoltar.

"I was the one who killed your parents, you know." Zoltar mentioned off-handedly. "It was pathetic how they begged for their pitiful lives."

Jason's grip tightened on Kandi. There was no way he would let this monster harm her.

"You would make an excellent hostage!" Zoltar declared. He signaled to his soldiers.

"She's not going anywhere without _me_." Jason growled, as Kandi clung to him.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't ask _you_." Zoltar sneered. He pulled his gun out of his cape, and pointed it directly at Jason's forehead.

"I _knew_ I didn't need the damn laser sight." he muttered to himself.

Princess was frantically attempting to re-program her bracelet, so that she could communicate with Chief Anderson, but remained unsuccessful in bypassing the Spectra jamming signal.

Mark gritted his teeth, forced to watch the scene in front of him unfold, without interfering. If only something would happen, to take the Spectrans' attention off of Kandi!

As if in answer to the Commander's prayers, one of the Spectran guards at the back of the room called out.

"Lord Zoltar!" he cried. "This man is a Federation agent!"

"What?" screeched Zoltar, pulling the gun away from Jason's forehead. "Bring him here!"

The crowd parted for the green-uniformed solder, who dragged forth a young male student in a rumpled, pink-stained tuxedo.

"What is your name?" Zoltar asked, looking him up and down with a scathing eye.

"Brad Peterson." the bedraggled young man replied, attempting to pull himself together in the presence of the Spectran Leader.

"He doesn't _look_ like a Federation agent." Zoltar sneered.

"He had this device on him!" the soldier reported, handing a small PDA to his leader. "It's some kind of communications device. And as you can clearly see, he was attempting to contact Colonel Cronus."

"Of the Red Rangers?" Zoltar turned swiftly back to the unkempt boy. "What were you doing, attempting to contact a high-level Rigan Officer, if you aren't a Federation agent, boy?"

"I just wanted to ask for help." Brad moaned, his fear evident in his voice. "I had the Colonel's contact information, so I tried to reach him."

"And _why_ do you have the contact information for the Captain of the Red Rangers?" Zoltar interrogated him.

"I… I was doing some work for him." Brad revealed, his eyes darting over to where Mark and Princess had been standing together. "He wanted information about students at the school."

"An obvious lie." sniffed Zoltar. "Colonel Cronus would _never_ be interested in _children_. Never mind. I will determine what you _really_ do for him."

"No, it's true!" Brad cried frantically. "Cronus wanted to know about him!" He pointed a finger at the crowd, only to discover that Mark and Princess had vanished into the mass of students.

"More lies." yawned Zoltar.

"Mark Turner! He wanted me to spy on Mark Turner!" sobbed Brad, as the soldier jammed a rifle into his chest.

"Whatever." Zoltar waved his hand casually, obviously not even listening to Brad's feeble protests.

"They will both make excellent victims." Zoltar declared. "Take the two of them up to the stage."

"Both?" asked the soldier. "Who's the other one?"

"The girl…"

Zoltar's words died on his lips.

Jason and Kandi were gone.


	5. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

John Anderson slammed his hands down on his desk in frustration. It had been a quarter of an hour since Galaxy Security had received Zoltar's message, and so far he had been unable to contact any of the G-Force Team.

He hit a button on his control console, watching the message again, hoping for some clue as to how to resolve the dilemma he unexpectedly found himself enmeshed in.

A grainy image of Zoltar, in his trademark purple mask, appeared on the Chief's monitor. The Planet Spectra had technology far beyond what the Federation was capable of, and yet, somehow, their messages were always of the poorest quality. Anderson suspected that this was due to their security precautions, as they never wanted their communications to be traced.

"Greetings, from the Leader of Spectra!" began the message. "I am sending this message to Galaxy Security Chief Anderson, President Kane, and all Federation personnel. At this moment, the Federation High School in Center City is under my control. All of your children who were attending the 'prom' event are now hostages of the Spectran Empire."

Zoltar paused, grinning, for dramatic effect.

"Unless the _entire_ G-Force Team surrenders, in person, to me, within the next hour, I will begin executing students at random, one every fifteen minutes, until Galaxy Security complies with my request."

The Spectran Leader sneered condescendingly at the camera.

"Do _not_ try to approach or enter the Federation High School. Any attempt by _anyone_ to do so, will result in the entire school being destroyed, with all students inside."

"You have one hour." came the final reminder, before Zoltar's image faded.

Since he had first received this message, Chief Anderson had been frantically trying to contact anyone on the team, through their communicators. Unfortunately, the only thing he had heard was a bizarre form of static that was apparently the byproduct of a Spectran jamming code.

The Chief knew that Mark, Jason, Princess and Tiny were inside the High School, attending the prom. What would they do, if they were taken hostage, without their weapons or uniforms?

Deep in his heart, John Anderson knew that if there were no other option, they would surrender themselves, despite the potential consequences. They would do what they had to, in order to protect the other students at the school.

It was _this_ thought that frightened him, above all others.

"You have another call from President Kane, Sir." his secretary politely informed him.

"Tell him I'm working on it." The last thing Anderson needed was another draining conversation with the President, whose concern for his granddaughter overrode all common sense. He had already had three such conversations, since receiving Zoltar's message.

In frustration, he rubbed at his nose, underneath the bridge of his glasses.

The loud crash of his office door slamming into the wall caused his head to jerk upward in surprise.

"What the hell are you doing, Anderson?" bellowed Colonel Cronus. He was attired in his Red Rangers uniform, and strode into the Chief's personal domain as if he were in charge of all Galaxy Security.

"I'm working on it." the Chief growled.

"Wait a minute," Anderson said, something suddenly occurring to him, "how did _you_ know about this?"

"I happened to be with President Kane, when Zoltar's demands were broadcast." Cronus replied.

"What the hell are _you_ doing on Earth?" Anderson cried, "Are you _spying_ on me? On _Mark_?"

That _had_ to be it. The Colonel was becoming obsessed with his son, and he had been none too pleased that the Chief had allowed Mark to attend the prom.

But this was not the time for such petty rivalries.

The Chief held up a hand to stop any comment from Cronus.

"We'll discuss it later." he said quietly. "Right now, I'd appreciate any ideas. I've been unable to contact any of the Team. I suspect that the Spectrans are jamming their communicator signals."

"And they're wearing those damned monkey suits, instead of their uniforms?"

"Yes." the Chief said, in a tight voice.

"Then, you have to send us in there."

"_You_?"

"The Red Rangers. We'll bomb the place like there's no tomorrow, and kill that purple bastard for once and for all."

"Colonel," Anderson said in a strangled voice, "you _do_ realize that there are hundreds of innocent _children_ in that school, right now, not to mention at least a dozen faculty members? As well as _your son_?"

"Acceptable casualties." replied Cronus calmly. "Mark's smart enough to dive for cover. He'd make it. And we'd be sure to get Zoltar. He's a sitting duck! The war would be over!"

"The price is _too high_." Anderson insisted.

"Why they put a wimp like you in charge of Galaxy Security, I'll never know." grumbled Cronus.

At that moment, the Chief didn't know if he hated Zoltar, or the Colonel, more.

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"What do we do now, Mark?" Princess whispered, as they made their way toward the edge of the crowd. The students and Spectran guards seemed to be fascinated with Brad Peterson's groveling and Zoltar's scathing comments, and weren't really paying attention to the couple.

"There's Jason!" Mark said, pulling her over toward the Weapons Officer, who was attempting to keep Kandi calm while surreptitiously moving through the mass of students.

"I hate to say this, but thank God for Peterson!" Jason hissed. "Talk about a distraction!"

"Well, Zoltar is going to notice any second now, that you're gone." Mark noted. "We have to get out of here, but there are guards at the exits!"

"Leave it to me." Princess grinned, palming her yo-yo.

The G-Force beauty walked over to the guard at the nearest exit. He didn't notice her approach at first, as he was too involved in watching the altercation between Brad and Zoltar.

"Excuse me, but could I go to the bathroom, please?" Princess asked in her best 'little girl' voice. She hopped from one foot to the other, for good measure.

"Huh?" the guard was taken aback. He hadn't expected anything like this.

"Please?" Princess begged prettily. "I _really_ have to go. Too much punch, I guess." She shrugged helplessly to emphasize her point.

"_Princess_?" The guard sounded surprised.

"Do I know you?" Princess asked nervously.

"It's me… Private Roberts!" the guard informed her. "I helped you with your career advisement… remember?"

"Oh, yes!" Princess exclaimed. She recalled quite well, but hadn't recognized the man at first, due to his green fanged mask.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well, I really work for Spectra." Roberts confessed. "But I'm glad to see you." His eyes roamed her body, lingering at his view of her bosom.

"Oh, a man from another planet! And you're wearing green, too!" Princess giggled, seizing the opportunity she had been given. "I just _knew_ that part of my dream was true!"

Private Roberts actually flushed underneath his mask, as he recalled Princess' 'fantasy'.

"I'll keep you safe, Princess." he promised blithely. "Don't worry about Lord Zoltar. He just wants the G-Force Team."

"But, I _still_ have to go to the bathroom." Princess pointed out. "Could I go? Please?"

Roberts looked doubtful.

"I don't know…"

"Oh, please? You can come with me. I _promise_ I'll behave." she pouted prettily.

The thought of being alone with Princess, even in the girls' restroom, was apparently too much for Roberts to resist.

"Okay." he agreed. Princess flashed him a brilliant smile, as he escorted her from the gymnasium.

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"What the hell is she doing?" Mark hissed angrily. "This isn't the time for games!"

"I think she's distracting the guard!" Jason snapped at his Commander. "Not _everything_ is about _you_, you know."

Mark winced. Jason had a point.

"She's leading him away!" whispered Kandi.

"There you guys are!" said Tiny quietly, coming up behind them. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"You got here just in time." Jason grinned. "Princess is getting us out of here."

"Way to go, Prin!" Tiny smiled.

Once the coast was clear, Mark counted slowly to five, then led the group of teens over to the now unguarded exit. Quickly, he slipped through the door, with Jason, Kandi and Tiny swiftly following.

The hallway was empty, and the lights were dimmed.

A soft twang and a muted thud came from around the corner. The group rushed in the direction of the noise. They turned the corner, only to find Princess crouched down next to the motionless body of Private Roberts.

"Is he…?" Kandi felt faint.

"He's not going to tell anyone that we left." Princess said firmly. "And _that's_ what's important, _isn't it_?"

Kandi looked at Jason in confusion.

"Princess is right, Kandi." he told her. "What's most important, is keeping _you_ safe."

"Get her out of here, Jason." Mark ordered quietly.

"Right." Jason nodded. "I'm on it."

"Oh, Jason, before you go," Tiny said, pulling the Weapons Officer aside and slipping something into his hand, "I picked these up at the buffet table."

Jason felt the cold, smooth steel of the catering knives in his palm, and he smiled to himself.

"Thanks for thinking of me." he grinned at Tiny.

Once Jason and Kandi had disappeared down the hallway, Tiny turned to Mark and Princess.

"So, what are we going to do about those Spectran bastards?" he asked grimly.

"We're going to give them a taste of their own medicine." Mark grinned.


	6. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Where are we going?" asked Kandi.

"I'm going to get you out of here." Jason explained. "Hopefully we can sneak out to my car, and get away." He motioned for her to stop, then carefully peered around a corner, checking to see if it was safe.

"I like that plan." Kandi smiled weakly. She trusted Jason, but she wasn't entirely sure he was capable of doing what he intended. Still, he seemed so calm, and sure of himself, and he had protected her so far.

Kandi slipped her hand into Jason's, and he gave her fingers a comforting squeeze. Suddenly, she felt a lot more optimistic.

Jason wasn't going to abandon her. He was going to protect her.

"Damn!" Jason muttered.

"What is it?"

"There are a lot of guards this way." he told her. "We'll have to try a different route."

"I know you can do this, Jason." Kandi gazed trustingly up at him.

Jason was unprepared for the protective feelings that rose up in him, when she looked at him like that. Brusquely, he pushed them aside. Right now, he had a job to do.

If only he could find a way out of this place.

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The Spectran soldier guarding the exit to the gymnasium turned, as the door behind him opened. When he saw the green-uniformed person on the other side, he groaned.

"Where have you been?" he hissed at the latecomer. "Lord Zoltar is getting anxious. It's been half an hour and that damned G-Force Team hasn't shown up, yet!"

The only response to his query was a hard chop to the soldier's throat, instantly shattering his windpipe.

The lifeless body of the guard fell into the arms of his assailant, who exhibited decidedly feminine curves, under Private Roberts' green uniform.

Grunting with her effort, Princess dragged the Spectran out into the corridor.

"This one looks like it would fit Mark." she commented.

"Did you see anything for me?" Tiny asked hopefully, as he stripped the guard of his uniform.

"I think so." Princess commented. "At the west entrance. We have to be careful though, that one's closer to where Zoltar is camped out."

"What's Zoltar doing?" asked Mark, returning from his scouting mission.

"What did you do with my dress?" Princess huffed, ignoring his question. "You didn't just drop it somewhere, did you?"

"No, I put it in my locker." Mark rolled his eyes. "Now, what's Zoltar doing?"

"Just as long as you didn't crumple it." Princess said, mollified. Then she turned her attention to her Commander's question.

"He's just sitting there, whining as usual. He's waiting for us to show up, and of course, there's no sign, so he's getting annoyed."

"Good." Mark said. "The more annoyed he is, the more careless he gets."

"Here you go, Mark." Tiny said, handing the Spectran uniform to his Commander. "Can we go get that one for me now, Princess?" he asked hopefully.

"Okay." Princess grinned. "This way."

Mark watched Princess' hips swaying as she walked away with Tiny. It was amazing how alluring she looked, even when she was wearing that awful Spectran uniform.

Barely two minutes later, the pair returned, Tiny holding a Spectran uniform in size extra large.

"You're something else, Prin!" the Pilot said admiringly.

"You don't have to tell me!" Mark nodded in agreement.

"Does that mean I get to watch you undress?" she asked him flirtatiously.

"First things, first, Princess." the Commander grinned.

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"What if I just flew _my_ plane?" Cronus offered.

"For the last time, no!" Anderson snapped. "We can't risk the lives of those kids!"

"What are the lives of a few whiny kids, as compared to the potential assassination of Zoltar?" the Colonel asked hopefully.

"No."

"If we were on Riga, _I'd_ be in charge." Cronus retorted angrily.

"Then I'm happy we're _not_ on Riga."

Cronus glared at Anderson for a long moment.

"Haven't you fixed that communications issue, yet?" the Colonel nagged.

"Not yet." the Chief sighed.

"I need to contact someone." Cronus complained.

"And just _whom_ do you need to contact inside the school?" Anderson asked, in a sickly sweet tone.

"Uh, never mind."

"I thought so."

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"Okay, this way looks clear." Jason carefully led Kandi down another corridor. This was their third attempt to exit the building. It appeared that Zoltar had done his homework. There were squadrons of guards roaming all of the main hallways.

But they had only walked a few feet when they heard a harsh voice.

"Stop right there! Where do you think _you're_ going?"

Jason held up his hands in apparent capitulation, and turned slowly, only to see four Spectran guards aiming their rifles at them. As he moved, he placed his body between Kandi and the soldiers.

"Don't hurt us, guys." he said, winking at the Spectrans. "We were just looking for a little privacy… if you know what I mean."

"Everyone is supposed to stay inside the gymnasium!" ordered one of the guards. He appeared to be in charge.

"Okay, we'll go back there, then." Jason shrugged. The soldiers lowered their rifles.

It was exactly the opening he had been waiting for.

In the blink of an eye, two thin knives flew through the air, piercing the throats of the two closest guards. In the resulting confusion, Jason was easily able to leap forward, kicking a third Spectran in the head, then pivoting to thrust his heel into the last soldier's abdomen.

Within a few seconds, the four guards were all slumped on the ground.

Jason quickly retrieved the knives, returning them to their places of concealment in his shirtsleeves. He picked up a rifle, and grabbed Kandi's arm.

"This way." he instructed her, indicating the direction they should take with his head.

Kandi stood motionless, her face as white as a sheet.

"I…. I didn't know you could do that... Jason." she stuttered.

"I got lucky." he casually brushed off her comment. "But I might not get lucky again. We have to go."

"Yes…" Kandi took one last look at the pile of green-uniformed bodies, before following Jason from the scene.


	7. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"What do you mean, you've made no progress?" President Kane raged. After John Anderson had refused to answer three of his telephone calls, he had traveled to the Chief of Galaxy Security's office in person.

"I'm having a hard enough time concentrating on the situation, with Mister 'Trigger-Happy', here interrupting me constantly!" grumbled Anderson, gesturing angrily toward the chair where Colonel Cronus sat, his arms folded in irritation. "He wants to go in and blow up the entire school!"

"Not with my granddaughter in there, you don't!" Kane shook his fist in Cronus' face. The Colonel actually had the grace to look embarrassed.

"What will your team do, if time runs out?" Kane asked Anderson.

"I believe they will ensure the safety of the students, one way, or the other." the Chief replied quietly.

"I hate to break up the conversation, gentlemen," Cronus interrupted them, "but it's been forty-five minutes since Zoltar's message was delivered. This is going to come to a head, very soon. Perhaps we should go to the school."

"But, Zoltar's message said that they would destroy the school, if we approached!" Kane cried.

"Thom has a point." Anderson admitted reluctantly. "Once the hour is up, if G-Force has not diffused the situation from within, or surrendered themselves, we pretty much have nothing to lose."

"Whatever you think, John." Kane sighed, sitting down heavily. "I trust your judgment."

The Chief had to stifle an urge to stick his tongue out at the Colonel.

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"Where are they?" ranted Zoltar yet again, as he paced back and forth across the stage at the front of the gymnasium.

"I don't know, Sire." replied Sergeant Keith, who was watching over Brad Peterson. Brad had been tied to a chair with electrical cords. His mouth had been covered over with duct tape, after Zoltar had complained about his 'incessant whining'. Brad's pants were now stained with more than just punch, as a result of his constant state of terror.

"G-Force should be here by now!" the Spectran Leader complained, kicking Brad's shins in a vain attempt to vent his frustrations. "I sent that message three quarters of an hour ago! What's keeping them?"

"Perhaps they were some distance away?" the other soldier attending Zoltar suggested. "They need more time to get here?"

"That damned Phoenix can travel from Earth to Spectra in the blink of an eye, and G-Force can't get here within an hour?" Zoltar asked in irritation.

The Sergeant sighed, shaking his head. There was no dealing with Lord Zoltar, when he got into a mood like this. Not for the first time, he wished he were still assigned to Lady Mala's command.

The students and faculty were now sitting in groups on the gymnasium floor, as they were tired of standing around, waiting for something to happen. Many of them were beginning to whisper amongst themselves. It was obvious that Zoltar was frustrated. What would this mean for them, especially if the hour allotted for G-Force's surrender ran out?

Mark, Princess and Tiny stood in Spectran uniforms, surveying the gymnasium from their position against the back wall. The Spectran soldiers now stood in clumps, talking together, keeping only a half-hearted eye on the hostages. They were split into three groups, not counting the two soldiers on the stage with Zoltar.

"Princess, you take the group on the right. Tiny, you take the group on the left." Mark ordered. "I'll take the group closest to the stage."

"Right." acknowledged Tiny.

"What's the timing on this?" Princess asked.

"We'll take three minutes to reach our targets." Mark said. "Then we'll all attack simultaneously, as fast as possible, and make our way to Zoltar's position."

"G-Force!" whispered Princess and Tiny, as the three teens slipped away, toward their intended targets.

At the designated time, Princess threw her yo-yo into her target group, triggering the explosive charge. The Spectrans cried out in surprise and pain, as they collapsed to the ground.

The hostages turned to stare, astounded at the sight, but even as they did so, Mark and Tiny used their borrowed Spectran rifles to take down the other two groups of guards.

Within seconds, the three were on the stage at the front of the gym. Princess' yo-yo shot out, smacking Sergeant Keith in the head and causing him to crumple to the floor. Tiny pounded his fist into the other soldier's face, knocking him out with one blow. Mark grabbed Zoltar from behind, his arm wrapping around the Spectran Leader's throat.

"G-Force!" squeaked Zoltar, his glossy pink lips trembling.

"Didn't you call for us?" smirked Mark, tightening his grip, and using his other hand to jam his rifle into Zoltar's back.

"Uh..." the Spectran Leader moaned, his head thrashing in the Commander's grip.

"We're taking you back to Galaxy Security Headquarters." Mark informed him. "Now, just…"

As Mark spoke, Zoltar's fingers brushed his lips. A small device fell out of his mouth, and Zoltar threw it onto the floor.

Mark's surprise at the cloud of gas emanating from his feet caused him to loosen his grip ever so slightly. Within seconds, he was coughing and choking, realizing too late that Zoltar had slipped away.

"After him!" the Commander cried, and Tiny and Princess followed Mark out of the room, to the sound of the students' resounding cheers.

"G-Force! G-Force! G-Force!" The chant filled the gymnasium, ringing through their ears.

Amidst all of the celebratory ruckus, no one remembered that Brad Peterson was still tied to his chair. The senior thrashed and bucked, attempting to free himself.

With a crash, Brad fell backward, chair and all, into the drum kit behind him, smashing it to pieces.

"Hey, man, you're going to have to pay for that!" admonished the band 's lead singer.


	8. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"I guess Mala was right about the gas bomb." Zoltar muttered, as he dashed through the gymnasium, toward the exit. "It _was_ handy."

Once in the hallway, he pressed a button on the inside of his cape, disabling the communication jamming signal.

"This is Zoltar to all units!" he contacted the Spectran guards patrolling the Federation High corridors. "G-Force is here! All Spectran personnel, report to my position at once!"

How the hell had G-Force managed to get into the school without his noticing, and obtain Spectran uniforms?

Without warning, the Spectran Leader stumbled over something on the floor. With a nervous glance, he realized that it was one of his guards, clad only in his underwear. At least that answered one of Zoltar's questions.

Zoltar knew that he had sorely underestimated the abilities of the G-Force Team. He wouldn't make that mistake again. He had to re-group, and attack them with fresh reinforcements.

But first, he had to get out of this damned school. Where was that exit again?

The Spectran Leader stopped for a second, trying to determine which way to go, but panicked and ran off again when he heard footsteps behind him.

"You can't get away _this_ time, Zoltar!" he heard the G-Force Commander cry. It was the voice that haunted his dreams.

Thank the Blessed Luminous One, another group of Spectran soldiers was headed toward him, in answer to his distress call!

"Stop them!" Zoltar ordered the guards, frantically waving his hands at his G-Force pursuers. He dashed past, not caring whether his soldiers lived or died, as long as he was able to get away.

This was it! This one looked familiar! With rising excitement, Zoltar realized that this hallway led to the parking lot.

Escape was within his grasp.

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"Is _this_ one going to work?" Kandi asked wearily. She was tired of going down corridors, only to have to turn around and find another way.

Jason was just as frustrated, but his fighting abilities were limited, being out of uniform, not to mention having Kandi as a witness. She had been _too_ impressed with his attack on the guards a few minutes ago. Yet, he didn't want to use the rifle either, because it would be loud enough to alert other guards to their presence. So instead, he found himself sneaking around, trying to find a clear exit.

And then Jason saw it.

The exit to the parking lot was right in front of him, and unlike when he had been here fifteen minutes ago, it was now unguarded.

Taking a quick look around to confirm that they were alone, Jason decided to go for it.

"Now!"

Jason and Kandi ran for the exit as fast as they could, slipping on the floor in their dress shoes.

From the corner of his eye, Jason saw a flash of purple approaching them at top speed. He was unable to stop, before the thing crashed into them, sending both Jason and Kandi sprawling to the floor.

The Spectran rifle Jason had 'borrowed' flew from his hand, coming to rest on the other side of the corridor.

"What the hell…?" Jason and Zoltar uttered the phrase at the same time, staring at each other in astonishment.

"I don't have time for this!" Zoltar cried frantically. "That damned G-Force is right behind me!"

"G-Force?" cried Kandi, relief washing over her face, even as the Spectran Leader scrambled to his feet. "They're here?"

Wait a minute… Jason realized that if the Team was chasing Zoltar, then he must be trying to escape. In a blink, the Weapons Officer pulled a knife from his sleeve, throwing it at his departing enemy. Then he rolled across the floor, grabbed the rifle and sprayed the door with bullets.

Kandi screamed, covering her head, even though she was nowhere near Jason's target area.

Unfortunately, Zoltar had been too fast. The bullets all embedded themselves in the shatterproof glass in the doors. The knife was stuck in the doorjamb, a small piece of purple fabric the only part of Zoltar that Jason had managed to capture.

"Damn it!" he cursed, "We have to…"

But before he could finish his sentence, three figures in Spectran uniforms ran past. One of them was obviously female, and another was distinctly rotund.

"What were you doing back there?" the female cried to the rotund one, "And just because that Spectran had a candy bar?"

"Hey, I was hungry!"

Jason shook his head in disgust. They were having all of the fun, without him!

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Keyop slumped dejectedly inside of his dune buggy. This morning, he had been excited about the possibility of going to the prom with everyone else.

He knew that Mark and Princess would say no, if he suggested that he go with them. Tiny had already told Keyop that he wanted to try and meet a girl, and that the boy's presence would be a detriment to that. So Keyop had looked to Jason. The Weapons Officer had always been something of a rule-breaker, and it wouldn't be too much trouble to let Keyop ride along in Sweetheart.

But when he had tried to approach the subject, Jason had shot him down, the moment he had begun speaking.

Keyop hated being the only kid in a team of teenagers. He _never_ got to do anything fun with them.

At first, it had been entertaining teaching the swallows to dump on Jason's car. When Jason had left the Chief's house, Keyop had followed him in his dune buggy. Since he knew Jason's destination, Keyop had easily been able to stay out of sight. From the road in front of the President's house, Keyop had let one of his swallows go, and it had easily flown over the fence and found Sweetheart parked in Kane's driveway.

But after that, things had started to go downhill. Keyop had secreted himself inside his vehicle, in the Federation High parking lot, hoping to catch Jason and Kandi (or maybe Mark and Princess, or _maybe_ even Tiny and some girl) coming out for a romantic interlude.

But there had been no one.

No one… for a prom, the 'parking lot' activity was pretty non-existent. Keyop had expected _someone_ to be out here by now. He was practically falling asleep with boredom. Perhaps it was just as well he wasn't inside, if things were _this_ dull.

Slowly, a low rumble began to emanate from the road.

Keyop opened one eye, and looked around. Nothing was happening. Perhaps he had just imagined it. But the noise continued, and increased in volume. Within thirty seconds, the young boy saw headlights coming down the road, approaching the school.

It was… Keyop squinted. No… that _couldn't_ be right!

It was a line of tanks!

The parade of tanks made it seem as if Galaxy Security intended to invade Federation High. But that couldn't be right…

Just then, the lead tank pulled into the parking lot, coming to a stop. Its hatch opened, and Chief Anderson, Colonel Cronus, and President Kane came tumbling out.

"Keyop, report!" the Chief shouted.

"Brrrt… what's… droot… wrong?" asked the puzzled boy.

"Where's Kandice?" President Kane asked frantically.

"Beep… who's Kandice?"

Just as Keyop was trying to figure out what was going on, a flash of purple caught his eye.

Keyop gasped. Was that _Zoltar_?

Acting on instinct, the young boy swung his left arm around in front of his face.

"Trans…mute!"

Even as the usual flash of white light signaled the transmutation of his uniform and buggy, Keyop noted that Zoltar was rushing toward a red sportscar. The Spectran Leader jumped inside, quickly followed by three green-uniformed soldiers, who got close enough to their leader to momentarily bang on the car window, before Zoltar sped away.

Keyop started up his Space Buggy, ready to chase the Spectran Leader, only to be prevented from doing so by the three soldiers, who ran in front of his mecha, ignoring the Federation's most influential figures who were standing, open-mouthed, taking in the entire scene.

The soldiers ripped off their masks. Cronus shouted as they were revealed to be Mark, Princess and Tiny.

"What the hell are you kids doing?" the Colonel cried, as Keyop jumped out of the mouth of his Space Buggy.

"Brrrt… what's happening?" the boy shouted, ignoring the Red Ranger Captain.

"We need a ride!" Mark told him. "Zoltar's getting away!"

"Hop in!" grinned Keyop, gesturing to his Space Buggy. He was immensely pleased that he could help.

"I won't fit in that thing!" groaned Tiny.

"You'll have to wait for Jason to take you in Sweetheart." the Commander told him.

"Darn it! Why do I have to be so…. muscular?" Tiny grumbled.

"Well, perhaps if you hadn't stopped for that Spectran candy bar…" Mark pointed out.

"Hey, I was hungry!" Tiny protested.

"He _did_ get those knives for Jason." Princess observed, as she got into the Space Buggy.

"I never said he wasn't useful." the Commander sounded slightly defensive. His voice faded out, as the mouth of Keyop's vehicle closed.

Cronus' jaw fell to the ground. What kind of leader _was_ his son, arguing with his subordinates like that? And letting the _female_ talk back to him? Obviously the boy had a _lot_ to learn.

Tiny began to tell the Chief everything that had occurred in the last sixty minutes.

Jason came racing out of the school, Kandi close behind, just in time to see Keyop's Space Buggy take off.

"Kandice!" cried President Kane.

"Grandad!" sobbed Kandi, running to embrace her only living relative.

"Are you all right?" Kane asked emotionally.

"Yes, Grandad," Kandi assured him, speaking in a rush, "thanks to Jason. You should have seen him! He stopped all of those Spectran soldiers, and prevented Zoltar from taking me hostage, and he got me out of the school, and… oh Grandad, he was just wonderful!"

Kandi stared worshipfully at Jason, her eyes shining, as President Kane reached out to shake his hand gratefully.

"Thank you, Son." he told Jason. "I can never repay you…"

"Uh, not to be rude, Sir," Jason interrupted the President, "but I think I need to be going, _now_…" his eyes darted toward his car.

"Oh, yes!" Kane replied, catching on. "Of course."

"Mark said that we should go together." Tiny informed Jason.

"Then let's get out of here!" Jason grinned, racing toward Sweetheart.

"I'm riding shotgun!" Tiny cried, following close behind.


	9. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The moment they were in the vehicle, Jason activated his communicator.

"Mark, this is Jason. Tiny and I are heading back to pick up the Phoenix. What's going on?"

"We're pursuing Zoltar." Mark replied, "Track our position and rendezvous with the Space Buggy ASAP!"

"Roger!" Jason signed off.

"You'd better hold onto something, Tiny." he told the G-Force Pilot.

Tiny had barely had a chance to snap in his seatbelt before Jason went careening down the city streets, at nearly one hundred miles per hour. The Pilot closed his eyes and held his breath, praying that Jason was as good a driver as everyone always said he was.

Barely three minutes later, Jason pulled into the Galaxy Security Hangar where the Phoenix was currently docked.

Tiny immediately boarded, as Jason grabbed an emergency uniform from Sweetheart's trunk, changing and transmuting just in time to meet the docking arms reaching out to pick up the Spacemobile. Once they were airborne, Jason took over the helm of the Phoenix just long enough for Tiny to change and transmute as well.

"Have we got spare uniforms for Mark and Princess?" Jason asked Tiny.

"They were back in the storage locker, with mine." Tiny replied.

Jason activated the comm system, contacting the Space Buggy.

"Hold on, Mark!" he informed the Commander, "We're on our way!"

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Finishing his communication with Jason, Mark was just glad to hear that something was going right. After some initial success following the red car, they had lost visual contact with Zoltar, and at this point they were just guessing where the Spectran Leader might be.

"Wait, is that it?" Princess cried out, pointing at a small red object speeding through the streets of Center City.

"I think so!" Mark exclaimed. "Good work, Princess!"

Unfortunately, the Commander's elation was short lived. A swarm of black cars surrounded the red one, moving closer and closer. Within a few seconds, it became obvious that the cars were all merging, combining into a large mecha.

"Where the hell is the Phoenix?" Mark raged. "We've got to stop Zoltar, _now_!"

"Breet… they're here!" Keyop announced, pointing out the familiar red and blue shape on his viewscreen. Quickly, he changed direction, flying up to join with the Phoenix mid-flight.

As soon as they were onboard, Mark and Princess changed into their civvies and transmuted.

"I was so excited to put on my new dress, tonight…" Princess moaned sadly.

""You'll get to wear it again, Princess." Mark promised her.

"If you didn't ruin it, when you tossed it into your locker." she winked, as they entered the Bridge.

"I see that Zoltar's joined up with his Happiness Boys." Jason commented grimly.

"What is that thing, anyhow?" Tiny asked.

The cars were still merging and forming, the mecha shaping itself into a long, thin rectangle. Panels opened up on the bottom, and the mecha began to rise up, four large wheels emerging, even as the top of the mecha emerged from the rectangular mass.

"It's a… limousine?" Princess suggested.

It _was_ a limousine. It appeared that Zoltar was serious about crashing the prom. The mecha was at least twice as long as the Phoenix.

"If that's Zoltar's limousine, I don't want to see the size of his date!" Mark commented dryly.

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"We have them, now!" Zoltar crowed. The Spectran Leader stood in the Command Center of the Limousine Mecha, his purple cape swirling around him. The elegant form he presented was only slightly marred by the ragged corner of the garment, where it appeared a piece of the material had been torn off. Zoltar grimaced when he noticed the damage.

"Damned kid!" he muttered. "My tailor is going to charge me through the nose, to fix that!"

"Lord Zoltar, the Phoenix is approaching!" a soldier reported.

"Excellent." Zoltar smiled maliciously. "I'll make them pay, for humiliating me."

"To the school!" he ordered the mecha operators. "We'll crush Federation High into the ground!"

The giant limousine made its way through Center City, heedless of what lay in its path. The mecha rolled over houses, buildings, and vehicles, destroying everything it touched, leaving a path of devastation hundreds of feet wide, behind it.

A small, cylindrical object shot out of the body of the Phoenix, making its way toward the Spectran mecha. It made direct contact, hitting the front of the limousine's windshield, resulting in a large explosion.

But when the smoke cleared, it was clear that the missile had had no effect. The mecha was undamaged, and appeared no different than it had before the attack had been made.

Another missile was fired from the Phoenix. And another. But they had no more success than the first.

Zoltar laughed. _Now_ he had G-Force, right where he wanted them.

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On the Phoenix, the five members of G-Force stared in horror at the devastation left behind by Spectra's latest attack vessel.

"Those TBX Missiles didn't have any effect on it!" Jason said angrily.

"At least Zark was able to evacuate everyone into shelters…" Princess whispered.

"The entire city has been evacuated." Tiny replied. "The Chief told me that he sent out the order, the moment Galaxy Security received Zoltar's ultimatum, from the prom."

"The prom…" Mark repeated. "The prom! That's it!"

Everyone turned to look at the Commander.

"The only place, in all of Center City, that hasn't been evacuated…"

"… is the prom!" Jason finished Mark's thought.

"That _must_ be where he's headed!" Princess exclaimed.

"Federation High is still full of his 'hostages'." Mark pointed out.

"We have to stop Zoltar, before he reaches the school!" Jason insisted, pounding his fist into his palm.

"Full speed, Tiny!" Mark ordered.

"I'm already on it, Commander!"

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President Kane and his granddaughter sat in an official Federation car, while Kandi related the events of the evening to her grandfather. Outside the vehicle, Chief Anderson supervised the UN troops as they swept through the halls of Federation High, taking out the few Spectran soldiers who remained inside the building. Other squadrons had been assigned to protect the hostages inside the gymnasium, until it was confirmed that the rest of the building was completely free of enemy soldiers. Normally, this would not have been a difficult task, but Anderson was finding it difficult to concentrate, with Colonel Cronus interrupting him every few seconds to complain about Mark.

"I _told_ you Mark should never have been allowed to go to this 'prom'." Cronus stated self-righteously.

"If he _hadn't_ gone to the prom, he would never have been able to enter the school, without Zoltar noticing." the Chief pointed out, in between relaying instructions to the UN Troop Leader, over the comm system.

Anderson paced the parking lot, attempting to get Cronus off of his back. But the Colonel just wouldn't quit, and followed the Security Chief wherever he went.

"At the very least, you should have made him wear his civilian uniform!" insisted Cronus.

"And if he had, he would have stuck out like a sore thumb." Anderson sighed. "Then Zoltar would have figured out his secret identity, immediately."

"And what have you been teaching him?" The Colonel continued his litany of complaints. "It is not appropriate for his subordinates to be questioning his judgment! And why the hell was he running around in a Spectran uniform?"

"You'll have to ask _him_ about the Spectran uniform." Anderson said dryly, "As for his _teammates_ questioning his judgment, that's what _they_ were trained to do. Everyone is fallible, Thom, _even_ _you_."

The Colonel sputtered and gasped at this insulting statement, but before he could retort, a loud crashing sound echoed across the parking lot.

Chief Anderson's portable communicator beeped urgently.

"Chief!" Mark's voice came from the device, "Come in, Chief! This is an emergency!"

"Ears on, Mark." Anderson answered. "What is it?"

"A Spectran mecha is headed for the school!" Mark announced. "We're going to try to cut it off, but so far, we have been unable to destroy it. You have to evacuate the students _now_!"

"Everyone is still inside." Anderson informed the Commander. "We'll begin immediately, but we'll need at least twenty minutes. You _must_ delay the mecha for as long as possible, if you cannot destroy it."

"Understood, Chief. Over and out."

Anderson looked at the Colonel.

"You heard him, Thom. Now help me get those students out of there!"


	10. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"We _have_ to stop that thing!" Mark stated. "Ideas?"

"Brrrt… more missiles!" Keyop cried.

"They won't work any better now, than they did before." Mark pointed out.

"How about using the Fiery Phoenix?" Princess suggested. "We could punch a hole right through it!"

"There's not enough room to maneuver here, among all of these buildings." Tiny said. "If we go Fiery, we may just end up punching a hole through the school."

"So, what can we do?" Mark slammed his fist on his control panel in frustration.

Jason had remained silent up until this point, but he suddenly spoke out loud.

"If this were a _real_ car," he mused, "then its weak point would be the undercarriage. That's where the engine is generally exposed."

"Go on, Jason…" Mark prompted his second excitedly.

"If Spectra designed this after a regular car, they might not have armored so well, under there." Jason pointed out. "Maybe, if we took a look underneath, we might find a spot vulnerable to attack."

"It's worth a try." Mark said. "It's certainly the best idea I've heard. Jason, Princess: you guys go out there, and take a look underneath that thing."

Within thirty seconds, Jason and Princess were being lowered to the ground in their individual vehicles. They zoomed off, catching up easily with the Spectran mecha. The Spacemobile sped toward the front of the mecha, while the Galacticycle examined the rear. Both vehicles narrowly avoided being flattened by the limousine's giant wheels, as the Spectrans attempted to crush them.

Princess opened a comm channel to Jason, via her bracelet.

"It looks pretty well armored underneath here," she commented, "but there appear to be openings around the wheels."

"I see that as well, Princess." Jason's voice came back. "They're even larger, here in the front. They certainly make good targets!"

"We're rapidly approaching the school!" Princess shouted. "Let's give it a try! It's now, or never!"

"Engaging weapons!"

Jason opened up the front of his Spacemobile to expose its powerful machine gun. Using his natural targeting instincts, combined with his knowledge of automobiles, he expertly aimed for the opening next to the front, right wheel. He scored a direct hit, and the mecha began to swerve, as smoke poured out of the opening. Quickly, he targeted the front, left wheel opening, before speeding away from the mecha.

In the rear of the limousine, Princess used her rocket launcher to attack the rear wheel openings, then moved off as flames erupted from within the mecha.

She pulled up next to Jason at the side of the road and turned to him, grinning, as the Spectran vessel began to explode.

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Kandi and President Kane emerged from their car, as they saw the limousine mecha approaching the school. They stood in amazement, watching the Spacemobile and Galacticycle being lowered to the ground, before racing off below the mecha.

On the other side of the Federation High parking lot, Cronus raged.

"What the hell is Mark doing?" he shouted. "Sending his subordinates off to deal with this? What is _he_ doing?"

"I'm sure he has an appropriate plan, to deal with the mecha." Anderson snapped, too pre-occupied with coordinating the evacuation of the school, to worry much about the Red Ranger Captain.

The Chief stalked off, frustrated with both the situation, and the Colonel.

"What have you been teaching him?" Cronus yelled after the departing Chief.

The mecha exploded, white sparks and gouts of flame streaking up into the sky. The thunderous detonation echoed across the parking lot, nearly deafening everyone in the area.

But not the Colonel. Cronus continued to scream at the Chief of Galaxy Security, questioning Anderson's ability to raise and train his son.

Kandi and her grandfather watched in amazement, orange-red light from the burning debris reflecting onto their faces as they witnessed Zoltar's escape pod being launched from the wreckage, before it rapidly shot into the atmosphere on its return to Spectra.

They were so engrossed in the sight, that for a few seconds, they did not notice the flaming chunk of twisted metal, nearly ten feet wide, headed in their direction.

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Jason and Princess watched the explosion from the road, both feeling a grim satisfaction that Zoltar's plans to destroy the school had finally been defeated.

"The headlights! Kandi!" yelled Jason, suddenly taking off, tires squealing and leaving a trail of blackened rubber etched into the pavement behind him, as he drove away.

Princess looked up, and immediately saw what Jason had been referring to. The two 'headlights' on the limousine had shot off of the remains of the mecha, and were on a course straight for the parking lot.

One of the headlights was headed toward Kandi and President Kane, and Princess saw Jason racing to reach them, ahead of the flaming ball of debris.

The other was headed straight toward Colonel Cronus' position.

The Galacticycle took off at top speed for the Red Ranger Captain.

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Kandi saw the fiery ball of death heading for her and screamed, alerting her grandfather to the situation. They ducked behind the car, hoping that it would somehow protect them.

From out of nowhere, the Spacemobile appeared, twisting and turning at the last second to rotate one hundred and eighty degrees, in order to face the flaming debris hurtling toward them.

The machine gun on the front of the vehicle lit up, shooting round after round into the fiery projectile, until it blew apart, breaking up into thousands of small pieces, barely twenty feet away from the President's position.

Once he realized that Kandi and her grandfather were uninjured, Jason drove quickly away, hoping that he could save Colonel Cronus from the other headlight, that was headed in his direction.

But even as he moved toward Cronus, Jason could see that he was going to arrive too late.

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"Mark still needs to learn the most fundamental leadership techniques!" Cronus yelled at Anderson, who by now was at least fifty feet away. "Not to mention, he needs a _qualified_ team, not a bunch of sissies, women, and children!"

The Colonel was infuriated by the Chief's refusal to answer him. He ignored the sounds of the mecha exploding behind him, instead directing his anger at the man he had trusted to raise his son.

Without warning. Cronus felt something grab him around the waist, and he found himself thrown, face down, onto the back of a moving motorcycle. As the vehicle sped away, he looked back to see a giant ball of fire impact the place he had been standing, only seconds before. The chunk of debris slammed into the ground with enough force to flatten a number of nearby parked cars, before their gas tanks exploded, covering the area in a blanket of flames.

When she was a safe distance away, Princess came to a stop. Chief Anderson sprinted toward them, coughing and choking from drifting smoke.

"Do you require any further assistance, Colonel?" Princess asked Cronus respectfully.

Cronus gaped at her. This… female… had yanked him from the path of certain death, without warning, and was now speaking to him as if all she had done was swat a mosquito that had been about to bite.

"I… I'm fine." he said, standing up and attempting to compose himself, as Anderson approached. The Spacemobile pulled up alongside them, and Jason spoke briefly to the Chief, before driving off to rejoin the Phoenix.

"Then, I'll be going, now." Princess said. "I have to report back, to my Commander."

"Wait!" Cronus put a hand on Princess' arm, just as she was about to start up her Galacticycle again.

"Yes?" Princess asked, quizzically raising an eyebrow.

"I just wanted to say…."

Cronus stared. He suddenly realized that, perhaps, he had been wrong about this female. This was _not_ a girl in front of him. Rather, this was a military officer, made of fire and steel, covered by a deceptively cool and graceful exterior.

"Princess…" the Colonel took a deep breath. "What do you think of… your Commander?"

The question had come out of nowhere, but suddenly, the answer was of utmost importance to the Red Ranger Captain.

"My Commander is the most honest and noble person I know." Princess replied without hesitation. "His concern for his duty, and the welfare of the citizens of the Federation, is always paramount. He is intelligent, and resourceful."

She looked straight into Cronus' eyes, challenging him to doubt the veracity of her words.

"I would die for him." she said resolutely.

Anderson smirked silently, enjoying the sight of Cronus squirming, as he realized the deep loyalty Princess had for her Commander.

After a long moment of silence, Princess spoke again.

"Is that all, Colonel?"

"One more thing:" Cronus said slowly, "what do you think of _Mark_?"

"The world needs more men like him." Princess said, in a quiet voice.

The G-Force Intelligence Officer saluted to the Colonel and the Chief, then sped off on her Galacticycle, to rejoin her team.

Cronus watched her depart. Perhaps he had been wrong about her. Maybe she _was_ good for his son.

She didn't look bad in that pink miniskirt, either.


	11. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

As local firefighters put out the remaining flames on what had recently been a Spectran mecha, Tiny landed the Phoenix on the Federation High football field. The entire G-Force team emerged, and began assisting the Chief of Galaxy Security in evacuating the students and faculty to emergency shelters.

After about forty-five minutes, nearly everyone had been escorted from the gymnasium, and most of the students had been reunited with their families.

At his Commander's suggestion, Jason had de-transmuted, and was now speaking with Kandi and President Kane. Keyop and Tiny were assisting the military personnel in cleaning up the charred and blackened mess that had been left in the parking lot.

Mark and Princess checked the gymnasium one last time, to make sure that nothing had been forgotten.

"Did you ever think, when we first came here tonight, that it would end like this?" Princess asked him softly.

"The important thing, is that we're ending the night _together_." Mark said, embracing Princess within his wings.

They spent a long moment surveying the room, and were turning to leave, when they heard a quiet groan.

Curiously, they followed the sound, to the back of the room, behind the stage. Underneath a broken drum set, they found Brad Peterson, still tied to his chair with electrical cord. The duct tape that had once covered his mouth hung loosely from his chin, and a distinctly unpleasant odor was emanating from his person.

Princess looked up at her Commander.

"Do we _have_ to help him?" she sighed.

"_Technically_, he's on our side." Mark shrugged.

"If you say so." Princess muttered, casting a doubtful look in Mark's direction.

Brad groaned again. As he regained consciousness, he saw two figures in bird helmets leaning over him.

"G-Force…" he mumbled. "You came…"

"We're getting you out of here." Mark informed him, helping the dazed student to his feet.

Together, the three left the school, and emerged into the parking lot, Brad leaning on the Commander's arm.

Blinking in the bright lights put up by the cleanup teams, Brad suddenly realized that Colonel Cronus was nearby.

"Colonel!" he croaked, attempting to get the man's attention.

Cronus heard his name, and cautiously approached the trio.

"Peterson?" he said, staring at the disheveled student with obvious distaste.

"Colonel!" Brad replied, "I'm glad you're here. I have important information for you."

Cronus suddenly looked uncomfortable, his eyes darting back and forth, between Mark and Princess.

"Uhhh…. now is not the time, Peterson."

"But, Sir, I have the information you requested!" Brad declared proudly, still leaning on the G-Force Commander's winged shoulder.

"What information was _that_, Brad?" Mark asked, in a deceptively neutral tone of voice.

"I performed the surveillance you requested, of Mark Turner." Brad reported, oblivious to the Colonel's pinched expression. "He and Princess Anderson arrived at the prom at 2012 hours. They proceeded to dance in what could be termed as _too_ intimate a fashion for a brother and sister."

Mark choked, hurriedly attempting to cover up his shock by masking it with a cough.

"When they stopped for a break, I approached Princess. She has always had something of a crush on me." Brad continued.

This time, it was Princess who made various gasping and choking sounds.

"I _knew_ we should have left him in the gym." she whispered to Mark.

"Thank you, Peterson." Cronus said, his face as red as his uniform. "That's quite enough."

"But, there's more!" Brad declared, oblivious to Cronus' reaction. "Mark was jealous of my conversation with her, and proceeded to manhandle me, including throwing me across the room without provocation."

Brad failed to notice a steaming Princess behind him. The Intelligence Officer held her yo-yo in her hand, and was staring longingly at the back of his head.

"And then, when Zoltar arrived, Mark Turner disappeared!" Brad revealed. "He was obviously too cowardly to face the Spectrans. In my opinion, Sir, he's not fit to enter the Space Academy. He would be an embarrassment to your fine institution."

"No one asked for _your_ opinion, Peterson." Cronus growled.

"But… Sir…" Brad was obviously taken aback by Cronus' reaction, "Isn't that what you requested of me? An evaluation of whether or not Mark Turner was of appropriate character to enter the Space Academy?"

"I think I've heard enough." Mark said quietly, taking Princess' arm and leading her away.

"Wait, Commander." the Colonel asked. "Please."

Mark turned, fixing his icy blue eyes on Cronus, but momentarily delaying his departure.

"Peterson," the Colonel began, "it was inappropriate for me to ask you, a fellow student, for information about Mark Turner. I apologize for behaving improperly in this situation." Cronus was speaking to Brad, but his gaze was on the Commander.

Brad didn't get the hint.

"But, Sir!" he protested, "You were right! Mark Turner _is_ unfit…"

"That's enough, Peterson."

"But, Sir…."

"I said: that's enough!" Cronus barked, losing his temper. "Shut your damn mouth!"

Brad stood in shocked silence, staring at the Red Ranger Captain.

"You no longer work for me, in _any_ capacity." Cronus stated. "Do I make myself clear, Peterson?"

Brad nodded quietly, not quite understanding what he had done wrong.

"Does this mean that you _won't_ be writing that college recommendation, for me, Sir?"


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue

"I am very disappointed with you, Zoltar."

It hadn't been a very good week for the Spectran Leader. First, G-Force had somehow managed to infiltrate the high school and take out his guards, before he could capture them. Then, they had destroyed his latest mecha.

It had taken Zoltar two days to get home in his escape pod (the mecha construction budget had been tight, so the pod's maximum velocity was less than he would otherwise have desired). Once he had arrived, Zoltar had discovered that his tailor wanted three hundred kopins to repair his cape. Three hundred kopins? It was akin to inter-galactic space robbery!

Most horrible of all, when Zoltar had attempted to 'borrow' the funds to pay the tailor from the Spectran Treasury, he had discovered that he had misplaced his access crystal! This was a transgression of the worst degree. Spectran resources of all kinds were at a premium, and a lost key meant that an entirely new treasury would have to be constructed, lest someone find the key and attempt to access funds without authorization.

The Great Spirit was used to Zoltar's failed attempts to capture or defeat G-Force, but an unnecessary waste of resources _really_ angered the Luminous One. Construction of a new mecha was nothing next to the resources involved with a new treasury. And it wouldn't be ready for months! In the meantime, Spectra's gold and gems would be easy prey for anyone who had located the missing access crystal. If the wealth of the Spectran Empire were stolen, it would force an immediate surrender to the Intergalactic Federation, which was unthinkable!

"I had been planning on using those resources to build my new spaceship!" the Great Spirit reprimanded Zoltar. "I had a wonderful idea for a pencil-shaped design. And now, since we have to invest resources into a new treasury, I can't construct my vessel, because you had to go and lose your access crystal!"

Zoltar had originally supported the idea of the Luminous One leaving Spectra and traveling to other star systems, but things were getting out of control. A few weeks of complete and total leadership were not worth this kind of aggravation.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the Great Spirit asked angrily.

"My most humble apologies, oh Luminous One." Zoltar groveled, "I am certain that thieves must have taken the crystal. I shall find them, and punish them severely!"

"I do not accept the theory that thieves stole your crystal, Zoltar." the Luminous One's eyes narrowed menacingly. "I am convinced that you _lost_ it, through your carelessness, when you were on Earth, bungling your latest mission."

"That's not possible!" gasped Zoltar. "I had our Earth agents search the school property most thoroughly. All they were able to find was _this_…"

The Spectran Leader fumbled around in his cape, eventually bringing forth a small golden object.

"I am confident that this is a rare Earth artifact!" Zoltar declared. "I have already had our scientists studying it, attempting to discern its true purpose. It is certainly _much_ more valuable than my access crystal!" The Spectran Leader was going out on a limb here, but he was willing to say or do _anything_ to get back into the good graces of the Great Spirit.

"Bring that object closer…" the Luminous One instructed.

As Zoltar held the item up for inspection, he knew that he had once again escaped the full wrath of the Great Spirit, for which he was profoundly grateful.

Now, if only he could destroy that damned G-Force…

88888

"I am very disappointed with you, Jason."

It just hadn't been a very good week for Jason. First, Keyop had somehow managed to teach the swallows to dump on Sweetheart. In fact, nearly a week after the prom, Jason was still having to park her inside, to ensure that she wouldn't need to be cleaned multiple times each day.

Then, there was the matter of the interrupted prom. Of course, Kandi had been _very_ impressed with his protection of her, at first. But once she had seen the Spacemobile save her and her grandfather from certain death in the parking lot, all she could talk about was 'that wonderful G-Force driver'. It didn't help that she was actually talking about _him_, yet Jason couldn't take credit for his actions.

President Kane had wanted to give Jason a medal for his actions in saving his granddaughter's life on prom night, but Chief Anderson had vetoed the idea on the premise that it would draw too much attention to an otherwise 'unremarkable' teenager. Jason was more hurt by the Chief calling him 'unremarkable', than he was by missing out on the medal.

Now there was another problem. Jason was not quite certain why, but he had been the only one to return his tux to the rental shop in less than perfect condition. How Mark and Tiny had managed to keep themselves clean was a mystery to him. Of course, at some point they had exchanged their tuxes for those Spectran uniforms. That must have been it. Jason had had dirt and grease all over the Armani, and the rental shop had withheld the refund of his cleaning deposit. Three hundred dollars! That was highway robbery!

Worst of all, the payment and deposits for the tuxedos had been made on Mark's credit card, as the Chief had paid him back for the rental costs. But since deposits were _supposed_ to be refunded, it was really the Commander who was out the three hundred dollars.

Mark was used to Jason's carelessness, but this time the Weapons Officer's actions had hit the Commander a little too close to home.

"I had been planning on using that money to take Princess out for our one-month anniversary!" Mark reprimanded Jason. "And now, I can't, because you had to go and get yourself dirty!"

Jason had originally supported the idea of Mark and Princess starting a relationship, but things were getting out of control. When they were off duty, it was all they thought about! Of course, they _were_ pretty funny together: all goofy and mushy, to the point where Jason, Keyop and Tiny had begun making gagging noises when they saw the couple. But it wasn't worth this aggravation Mark was giving him, over a dirty tuxedo.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the Commander asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, Mark!" Jason said, for perhaps the twentieth time. "I didn't do it on purpose. It's Zoltar's fault!"

"I'm not buying the theory that its Zoltar's fault." Mark's eyes narrowed disbelievingly. "You were careless. And what's worse, you apparently managed to misplace a cufflink!"

Damn. Jason had been hoping that no one would discover that. After all of the trouble he had had putting them on, one of his cufflinks had apparently fallen off at some point during the night of the prom.

"How can you misplace a gold cufflink?" Mark asked in exasperation. "It's supposed to stay on your cuff! I am convinced that you _lost_ it, through your carelessness."

"Look, Mark," Jason attempted to reason with the overly-excited Commander. "I searched the entire school. All I was able to find was _this_…"

The Weapons Officer fumbled around in his pocket, eventually bringing forth a small pink crystal.

"This has got to be worth as much as the cufflink!" Jason insisted. "That thing wasn't even real gold!" He was going out on a limb here, but he was willing to say or do _anything_ to get Mark off of his back.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, Jason," Mark reprimanded him, "but that piece of junk isn't worth anything!"

In frustration, the Commander grabbed the crystal out of Jason's hand, and tossed it into the trash receptacle.

"Look, Mark, I'm really sorry." Jason offered once more, before rushing out of the room.

The Commander sat down, sighing. In the grand scheme of things, the money wasn't that big a deal. Princess would still love him, whether or not he took her out for their one-month anniversary.

Now, if only he could defeat that damned Spectran Empire…


End file.
